Foolish Morsel

Did I mention my husband bakes bread?  He does, and here they are!  This is a rustic white bread on top, and Challah bread on the bottom.  My only contribution was braiding and taste testing (which I don’t mind)!

That means cookies for Santa!  These were taken with my phone, so the quality isn’t the greatest…The chippies were for us, but the snowflakes were for the big man…Judging from the loot, he liked ‘em!  ; )

So I could only make so many of these.  It’s Rugelach with a cream cheese pastry, filled with chocolate chips and currants, and cinnamon sugar, yum! Christmas has been busy here, to say the least! I am hesitant to post the recipe as it belongs to Williams-Sonoma, but if you go to the library, it’s in their Cookies & Biscotti, or you can comment on this post and I’ll send it to you! : )

I’ve been making some Christmas cookies, here’s a look at Round 1…It’s a Martha recipe and they rock! However, you would think her staff would put together a variety of cookies that last longer than three days. That’s what the recipes say anyway.  So, technically, we’re all supposed bake the 11th hour before a party or get together in order to get the freshest cookies possible? Talk about an overwhelming undertaking… What about shipping them?  A lot of us do that, I mean, how about at least a week refrigerated or something? I mean, I love my fam and friends, but I won’t be spending the cash to overnight them, that’s for sure!  Well, it’s winter, and I say, these things’ll keep in the cooler weather…Tell me what you think!

© andi butler

I was reprimanded yesterday for not updating my blogs often enough, so here’s my latest, french toast made from a brioche bread (that my husband made) and I actually did bake this one as well!  I used the same recipe that I normally do (you can find it in an earlier post) but more of it, since you have to soak each slice for about thirty seconds, brown on both sides in a pan with real butter, and then off they go in a 375 degree over for about five minutes…The bread is sweet to begin with!   I froze them…Yum…

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all photos ©andi butler 2008

Today is Liam’s Birthday, and these are his cuppies!  He was surprisingly decisive as to what he wanted when he and big brother Owen were picking out their wrappers and whatnot. Liam loves polka dots, wonder who he gets that from?  And sprinkles! I have a lot of work on as of late (as in super late nights! I am shattered…zzzz…) so I didn’t have time to make the lil’ chocolate treasures, I did however make some toppers, in the shape of twinkly little stars (they sparkle)! I am so proud of how hard he’s worked to try to function in our world, he is my star!  He actually chose vanilla cupcakes, and I made an Italian meringue buttercream frosting that I’m also using as a filling.  I added a raspberry purée that I made, just to try something new (can’t be chocolate all the time, can it?) using a Wolfgang Puck recipe (easy, just time consuming)…The taste is tremendously brilliant!!…Happy Birthday sweetheart, we all love you!

© andi butler

Perfect!  Not a seed in sight!  ; )

I’m not dissing on Nestle® cookie dough out of the tube, it’s saved me from bored children on many a rainy day, but from scratch is pretty easy, and they are so much yummier!

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I took my little men strawberry picking with our friends on Monday, they thoroughly enjoyed it, and did sneak a few to eat!  I told Owen I’d have to weigh him when we checked out!  Here are some of the results, Strawberry Hand Pies!  I made them last year as well, too yum!  I am planning on testing some white chocolate cuppies with a strawberry mousse filling, I’ll be sure to post those too, yummy or not!  Clair, I’m totally on board with the Silpat, you’ll get it back, one day!  ; )

photos ©andi butler

oh the flakiness (and for once, in my case, it’s a good thing)!

four thumbs up!